Philly's Chinatown celebrates defeat of proposed sports complex but cautious about the future

Heather Chin/Billy Penn

Arena opponents celebrated upon hearing the new of the Chinatown sports complex.

Philadelphians have staved off a project that could have  ruined the Chinatown community. The big sports complex which would have wreaked havoc on the city's Chinatown will be built elsewhere, say opponents of the development.

“Chinatown is beyond a commercial area. Chinatown is a home for many people. It’s a community for all of us,” said Wei Chen, civic engagement director with Asian Americans United, one of the groups opposing the construction of an arena in the city's Chinatown. “We come here for service. We come here for temple. We come here for celebrations. This is our home."

The complex to be shared by the National Basketball League's 76ers and the National Hockey League's Flyers will be built in South Philadelphia where the Sixers' current arena is located.

RELATED: Are Chinatowns in the United States being squeezed out of cities?

After years of contentious hearings and noisy demonstrations, the sports teams made their announcement Jan. 13 to the cheers of Philadelphia's neighborhood advocates and Chinatown residents who feared the proposed complex would ruin the character of the city's thriving Chinatown, create traffic gridlock and encourage rent-raising gentrification.

"We didn’t really change our mind. We were really committed to Market East … but our North Star was to do the right thing by Philly,” said 76ers owner Josh Harris. “We felt we could build a better arena and also revitalize Market East … so we pivoted.”

The proposed relocated sports and entertainment complex dubbed the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, will be the new home of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers.

“Over the past two years, Philly built a movement not only to save Chinatown, but to defend our entire city from predatory billionaires who saw us for a profit playground, and tens of thousands of Philadelphians showed up. When some said it was a done deal, this movement stayed true, committed to a different kind of city,” said the No Arena coalition in a statement.

Sharon Chen, a family nurse practitioner in Philly’s Chinatown, said she “cried tears of joy ... knowing that at least for now, Chinatown as a community will not be disrupted, and that anyone who needs to be rushed to Jefferson Hospital by ambulance will not be killed by gridlock traffic.”

Though the arena proposal is moving, a new project is in the works for the Center City with the addition of the Comcast Corporation as a new partner in the complex.

“From the start, we envisioned a project that would be transformative for our city and deliver the type of experience our fans deserve. By coming together with Brian and Comcast, this partnership ensures Philadelphia will have two developments instead of one, creating more jobs and real, sustainable economic opportunity,” said Josh Harris, David Blitzer, and David Adelman, of the Harris, Blitzer Sports Entertainment., project developers

Critics feared the sports arena woud have changed the character of Philadelphia's Cchinatown

“We are grateful to Mayor Parker, Council President Johnson, Council Member Squilla, Governor Shapiro, our partners in labor and the many community and business leaders who supported us throughout this process. This is a massive win for our fans and for the city.”

Neighborhood activists tempered their celebration with a note of caution as they awaiti proposals for the new Chinatown project that could still transform the neighborhood. The difference, advocates hope, is that planning for the new project will include input from the neighborhood residents, something that was missing in the arena proposal.

“There was not an inclusive process to hear the community’s voice,” Chen, whose group was part of a coalition to oppose the arena, said Chen.

“Almost each day since we’ve announced, we’ve had a meeting with a different group within the community,” previously said David Adelman, an entrepreneur who’s leading the project for the team.

The battle between the neighborhood and developers has left a feeling a sour taste in the mouths of neighborhood businesses and advocates regarding the new Center City development, whatever that may be.

Mohan Seshadri, executive director at the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance, echoed a similar sentiment.

“We are so proud and happy and relieved that Chinatown, a 150-year-old community, will continue to stand strong,” said Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance executive director Mohan Seshadri during a press conference.

“But let’s be clear, it didn’t have to be like this. None of this had to be like this when we said, two and a half years ago, that this arena was the wrong site, the wrong location for a project like this. That it was going to destroy Chinatown.”

City leaders and developers, however, believe they've learned a lesson from the original project.

The entrance to Philadelphia's Chinatown.

“We firmly believe we are better working together for Philadelphia,” said Dan Hilferty, Chairman and CEO of Comcast Spectacor. “This new arena will complement other exciting developments in the area, including Comcast Spectacor’s and the Philadelphia Phillies’ plans to create the country’s top sports and entertainment district. We will all work closely together to create an unmatched experience for the fans while developing a vibrant mixed-use district that serves our community.”

Chinatown residents and neighborhood advocates have also learned their lesson and may give an indication of whats ahead.

“Two-and-a-half years ago, every single person told us that it was a done deal,” said Mohan Seshadri, executive director of API PA, which advocates for Asian Pacific Islanders’ civil rights in Pennsylvania. “And then we talked to our elders and our leaders and communities all across the city, and they said no way is this a done deal. We’re going to fight.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

 

Senators Duckwort, Hirono slam Trump's nominee for Defense Secretary

Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Army veteran questioned Pete Hegseth's qualifications.

United States Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, practically jumped out of her seat and shouted, "You are not qualified," at Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of State.

Duckworth's statement concluded her fiery rilling of Hegseth who is being questioned by the US Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday. She was joined by Sen. Mazie Herono, D-HI, in raising questions about Hegseth's qualifications, previous statements and behavior.

Combat veteran Duckworth — who served 23 years in the Reserve Forces—slammed Hegseth on his utter lack of experience and qualifications to lead the Department of Defense at his confirmation hearing.

At the hearing, Duckworth demonstrated some of the areas where Hegseth lacks the experience or knowledge that a serious Defense Secretary nominee should have, grilling him on basic questions that he failed to answer: 

• She asked him if he ever led an audit. He would not confirm. 

• She asked him to describe at least one of the main international security agreements a Secretary of Defense is responsible for leading. He could not name any. 

• She asked him to name at least one nation that is a part of ASEAN, an organization with several member states who have mutual defense treaties, alliances or enhanced defense cooperation agreements with the U.S. None of the three countries he named were correct.

Born in Bangkok, Thailand and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Duckworth was educated at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and George Washington University in Washington, D.C. A combat veteran of the Iraq War, she served as a US Army helicopter pilot.

While serving a tour in Iraq, Duckworth's helicopter was shot down where she was severely injured resulting in the loss of legs.

FYI: Watch the questioning by Senators Tammy Duckworth and Mazie Hirono.

The other Asian American senator on the committee also made Hegeth squirm. “I have read multiple reports of your regularly being drunk at work, including by people who worked with you at Fox News,” asked Senato rHirono. “Do you know that being drunk at work is prohibited for service members under the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice)?”

“Senator, those are multiple false reports peddled by NBC News—,” said Hegseth.

“I’m not hearing the answer to my question,” Hirono said while Hegseth tried to speak over her.

“You recently promised some of my Republican colleagues that you stopped drinking, and won’t drink if confirmed, correct?” she continued. Hegseth confirmed it to be “absolutely” true.

“Will you resign as secretary of defense if you drink on the job, which is a 24/7 position?” Hirono persisted in her questioning.

Hegseth started to answer the question indirectly, prompting Hirono to repeat the question. Hegseth again deflected. “I’m not hearing an answer to my question, so I will move on,” Hirono said again calmly.

Hegseth has been accused by former co-workers of being drunk on the job, even reportedly once yelling, “Kill all Muslims” while allegedly drunk, reports Yahoo.

Hirono began questioning Hegseth about using police and the military against protesters.

“In 2020, then-President Trump directed former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to shoot protesters in the legs in downtown D.C., an order Secretary Esper refused to comply with. Would you carry out such an order from President Trump?” asked Hirono, referring to the Black Lives Matter protests.

“I was in the National Guard unit that was in Lafayette Square during those events—”

Hirono interrupted, asking her question again: “Would you carry out an order to shoot protesters in the legs, as directed to Secretary Esper?” Hegseth continued talking while she talked.

“You know what, that sounds to me that you will comply with such an order; you will shoot protesters in the leg,” Hirono replied. “Moving on!”

Sen. Mazie Hirono brought up Pete Hegseth's past allegations of 

Hegseth, 44, was largely unknown in when Trump tapped him for the top Pentagon job.

A former co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend,” he had been a contributor with the network since 2014 and apparently caught the eye of the president-elect, who is an avid consumer of television and the news channel, in particular.

Hegseth attended Princeton University and served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011 and earning two Bronze Stars. Reaching the rank of major, he lacks senior military and national security experience.

Several women have come forth and claim that he He paid off a woman who alleged that Hegseth at sexually assaulted her at a Republican function in California in 2017.

Prior to his nomination, he criticizd the militry efforts to diversify its ranks and he said that women should not be in combat but he has softened his stance in the months before the Senate hearing.

Republican nominees can say anyting in order to be donfirmed. Like the Supreme Court judicial confirmation hearings, where the then-nominees said they respect previous SCOTUS decisions, once confirmed the justices voted to overturn Roe v. Wade and weakened the Voting Rights act.

Following the GOP strategy, Hegseth has simply denied those accusations, claiming that they are part of a "coordinated smear campaign."

Despite the Democrats' grilling of Hegseth's qualifications and questionable past, he is likely to get the committee's confirmation as the Republican majority walks in lock-step to Trump's orders. Following the expected confirmation, the question will go before the full Senate where Republicans hold a slim edge 51-49.

Influential and rich Republicans threaten to run opponents against any GOP seantor who votes against  Trump's nominations.

Pointing to a framed copy of the Soldier’s Creed—a copy that hangs over her desk in the Senate and hung above her bed during her recovery at Walter Reed Medical Center after the helicopter she co-piloted was shot down—Duckworth urged Mr. Hegseth to follow this Creed as our servicemembers do every day, placing the mission above personal ambition. 

“Every day, our servicemembers follow the Soldier’s Creed as we ask them to leave their families, walk into enemy fire and be ready for the mission until their very last breath,” said Duckworth. “How can we ask these warriors to train to the absolute highest standard, if we confirm a guy who is asking us to lower the standard to make him Secretary of Defense? The very idea that Pete Hegseth is the person to lead our heroes is an insult to the troops who sacrifice so much for the rest of us.”

"Yes or no, did you lead an audit? Yes, or no?," insisted Duckworth. "What are you afraid of, you can't answer this question? Yes or no did you lead an audit?" Attempting to divert the question, in the end, he could not give a yes or no answer.

Duckworth's question was to question Hegsetg's qualifications to lead the government's largest department. According to Hegseth's bio, he hasf never led an organization with more than about 100 people plus volunteers and does this qualify him to lead a department with three million members and a budget of $850 million.

"You're not qualified, Mr. Hegseth. You're not qualified," Duckworth said.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Andy Kim proud to be the first Korean American US senator

United States Senator Andy Kim.

New Jersey's newly sworn-in US Senator Andy Kim today put up a series of posts on X to answer the question: What does it mean to be the first Korean American Senator? He responded: 

"I’ve been asked what it means to be 1st Korean American Senator. On this Korean American day, I want to share a photo of the home where my mom grew up during Korean War. America opened its doors and helped her become a nurse. Last week she stood with me as I was sworn in.

:And it isn’t just my mom’s story. Over 120 yrs since the first Koreans came to America. Now there are 2 million Korean Americans. 24 million Asian Americans. Asian Americans are not monolithic. 

Andy Kim's mother was raised in the building behind her.

"I of course do not speak for all, nor is my story and experience reflective of all."

In fact I’ve struggled with my identity over my life. At times I resisted the label Korean/Asian American and snapped back with 'I’m just American.'  "I never would have imagined that Korean culture would become hugely popular between BTS, Squid Game, Korean BBQ, K-dramas etc.

"We now see Korean Americans leading major businesses, as leading actors, as innovators and media personalities. And it’s not just about leadership and accomplishments. It’s about the families built and the communities strengthened. Those contributing in different ways.

"When I first ran for Congress I didn’t initially realize there were no Korean Americans in federal office. It was not a barrier I set out to break.  "But when someone told me there is no way I can win a Congressional District that is 85% white and less than 3% Asian, I felt so insulted and disrespected.

"Last year someone told me I’m the wrong kind of minority to win statewide. Now I’m the 1st Asian American Senator from entire east coast. I can appeal not just to people who look like me. My story isn’t just a Korean American/ Asian American story; it’s an American story.

"I’m proud to break new ground but honestly I look forward to a time when I’m no longer unique. That’s what I want for my two boys. For them to grow up in an America where no one blinks twice about any aspirations they have. No one casts doubts.

"Sadly some still question my loyalty or accuse me of allegiance/favor towards Asian nations. I don’t know that will ever fully go away. I’ve learned to have confidence and pride in my heritage and show that my Korean identity does not take away from my love of being American.

"And now we have the most number of AAPI members of Congress ever and the AAPI community is a vital demographic in swing states like Georgia/Nevada.  "I believe the next decade will be the most dynamic decade for Korean/ Asian Americans in politics. And I’m honored to be a part of it.

A sign in South Korea proudly proclaims its ties to Sen. Andy Kim.

"My mom just sent me this photo from her childhood hometown in South Korea of a banner that says essentially, “Home of Senator Andy Kim’s mom.” My mom left that town 50 yrs ago to build a family in America. What an amazing 50 yrs it’s been. God bless. Happy Korean American Day! END"

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Frontline: 'Could Maui's deadly 2023 fire have been averted?

In August 2023, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century reduced much of the historic town of Lahaina to ashes, killing more than 100 people and displacing thousands. Sparked by a downed power line, the fire and a chaotic emergency response unfolded as Hurricane Dora brought high winds to Maui, Hawai‘i’s second-largest island.

Shedding light on a tragedy decades in the making, Frontline, the award-winning news program, asks the quesiton: Could the fire’s catastrophic toll have been prevented?

Coming in the wake of a state investigation that found a broad cascade of failures, Maui’s Deadly Firestorm, a new Frontline documentary, investigates critical missteps that day — and in the years prior, as the county and state were repeatedly advised to invest more money in prevention and preparedness, and as experts and residents raised concerns.

“I yelled and screamed all these years, but nobody was listening,” says Ke‘eaumoku Kapu, a Lahaina community leader who warned Maui officials in 2018 that the county was unprepared for a major wildfire. “Now that this has happened, I blame myself.”

FYI:  “Maui’s Deadly Firestorm” is available to stream on pbs.org/frontline, YouTube and in the PBS app

Written, produced and directed by Xinyan Yu, a filmmaker who is part of Frontline’s Investigative Journalist Equity Initiative, and produced by Christina Avalos, the documentary draws on harrowing footage filmed by those in the path of the inferno and firsthand accounts from survivors, victims’ families and friends, first responders, and local and state authorities.

“For sure I thought that we're gonna burn in there, because there is no way out and we cannot see anything — all smoke and fire around us,” says survivor Lily Nguyen, who was trapped in traffic in her car for hours as the fire and downed electric poles and lines blocked the town’s main evacuation routes.

Through these accounts as well as a detailed analysis of over 1,000 911 calls and public records across multiple government agencies, Maui’s Deadly Firestormprovides a harrowing, moment-by-moment reconstruction of the fire and its aftermath. It examines how changes to the climate and landscape have made Maui increasingly vulnerable to fires and probes the factors that made this fire such a deadly event.

The final total of 115 deathes, the Maui wildfire is the deadliest in the United States since 1918, when 453 people died in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

RELATED: Filipinos made up about 40% of Lahaina's population but they say their needs are not being met.

The documentary also investigates missed opportunities and controversial decisions before and during the response — including a choice not to activate emergency sirens — and raises difficult questions about who and what are to blame for the fire’s heavy toll.

“There are so many challenges in a fire like this,” Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green tells Frontline. “And it was the speed and ferocity of the fire that ultimately took Lahaina. But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have done better. We owe answers to everyone. And we also owe it to ourselves to be ready for the next tragedy or the next challenge.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

Report: Asian Americans like government work though advancement hindered

Vice President Kamala Harris, center front, met with AANHPI White House staff
during a recent AANHPI Heritage Month celebration.

Asian Americans apparently enjoy working for the Federal government but when they try to move into management jobs, they find themselves running into the stereotype of Asians as poor leaders.

A new report released yesterday (Jan. 7) by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) finds that in fiscal year 2020 Asian Americans were one of the largest growing populations in the United States. Asian American workers were employed in the federal sector at a rate that exceeded their representation in the civilian labor force (CLF).

Asian Americans make up 7.1% of the federal workforce, even though they only make up 5.7% of the civilian workforce, according to the report from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) titled "Asian Americans in the Federal Sector."

However, despite making up 7.1 of the federal workforce, Asians in leadership roles Asian men make up. only 3.3% of leaders. Asian women are even worse, making up 2.3% of the female leaders.

“AA and NHPI participation across all levels of government allows our communities to have a seat at the table, and we are stronger when the federal workforce reflects the diversity of America,” said Krystal Ka‘ai, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

In ensuring opportunities for AANHPI federal employees, the Biden administration has held severall conferences encouraging AANHPI federal workers to seek advancement in government service.

The EEOC report summarizes federal workforce data for Asian Americans in FY 2020. The analysis compared equal employment opportunity (EEO) statistics to the overall federal workforce and the national CLF. 

Other findings include:

• Asian American men accounted for 3.8% of the federal workforce in FY 2020, while Asian American women accounted for 3.2%.

• Asian Americans were relatively underrepresented among leadership roles compared to their representation in the federal workforce. Asian American men accounted for 3.3% of Federal leaders and Asian American women for 2.3%.

• Asian American men (3.1%) and women (2.5%) voluntarily separated—due to either retirement or resignation—from federal agencies at lower rates than their representation in the federal workforce.

• Asian American men (2.5%) and women (1.9%) involuntarily separated—due to either downsizing or removal from service—from federal service at lower rates than their representation in the federal sector.

• Asian Americans earned a median annual salary of $107,221—about 19% more than the governmentwide median of $90,097.

• Three percent of federal sector EEO complaints alleged Asian national origin as a basis.

White workers still dominate the federal workfoce. Sixty percent of the federal workforce identified as white compared to 76% in the private sector. Nearly 19% of the federal workforce identified as Black and 10% identified as Hispanic compared to 13% and 19% of the US labor force, respectively. 

This EEOC report continues a series of recently published profiles of Hispanic women and Latinas, American Indian and Alaska Native women, and African American women in the Federal sector The EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations will continue to profile other populations in future reports. The reports are part of the Biden administration's to diversify the federal workforce and to remove any racial bias in hiring and advancement.

The EEOC prevents and remedies unlawful employment discrimination and advances equal opportunity for all. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

President honors three Asian American heroes

 Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi's challenge to incarceration of Japanese Americans went all the way to the US Supreme Court where she won her case.

As his administration winds down, President Biden took time to honor three Asian American heroes.

On January 2, 2025 the President awarded the highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom to Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi for her role in challenging the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Amerians during World War II.

The following day, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. awarded the Medal of Honor to seven US Army soldiers, two of whom were Asian Americans: Private First Class Wataru Nakamura (posthumous) and Private Bruno R. Orig (posthumous),

Born in Sacramento, California, Endo challenged the injustice and reached the Supreme Court. Her resolve allowed thousands of Japanese Americans to return home and rebuild their lives, reminding us that we are a Nation that stands for freedom for all.

Endo is one of four and the only woman who challenged the constitutionality of the Japanese American incarceration and the only one to win her case. The other challengers were Gordon Hirabayashi, Min Yasui, and Fred Korematsu, whose cases were not successful. 

Though her case was the only successful one, Endo’s legacy is less known than the other thre. While the three men have been awarded the Presidential Medals of Freedom, the highest honor bestowed on American civilians. Endo was overlooked.

“I think that it relates in two parts: the fact that she’s a woman [and] I think it relates in part to the fact that her case hasn’t been elevated,” said Kathryn Bannai, 73, a member of Endo’s Presidential Medal of Freedom committee, speaking to NBC News in May 2024. 

The Presidential Citizens Medal, the second highest honor awarded to civilians, is awarded to US citizenswho have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. President Biden believes these Americans are bonded by their common decency and commitment to serving others. The country is better because of their dedication and sacrifice.

The Medal of Honor is the highest recognition of valor for those in the military.

The others receiving Medals of Honor wereCorporal Fred B. McGee (posthumous), Private First Class Charles R. Johnson (posthumous), retired General Richard E. Cavazos (posthumous), Captain Hugh R. Nelson, Jr. (posthumous), and Specialist Fourth Class Kenneth J. David.   

All of the January honorees were from minority groups. In August 2021, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed secretaries of the military branches to review decorations given to Black and Native American veterans to determine whether their actions “warrant the award of the Medal of Honor,” the military’s highest award for valor.

Of the more than 3,500 service members who have been awarded the Medal of Honor, only 94 African Americans, 59 Hispanic and 35 Asian or Pacific Islanders have received the decoration, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. 

Following are the battlefield incidents that earned the Medal of Honor for the Asian Anerucans:

Wataru Nakamura 

Pfc. Nakamura was a 20-year-old Japanese-American when the U.S. entered World War II and then-President Franklin Roosevelt ordered citizens of Japanese descent into internment camps. Nakamura and his family were sent to a camp in Rowher, Ark.

Wataru Nakmura

After Japanese American men were allowed to enlist, he signed up for the Army, according to his nephew Gary Takashima. He was assigned to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a Japanese-American unit that fought in Italy and became one of the most decorated American units of the war. 

After World War II, Nakamura joined the Army Reserve and was called up when the Korean War began. On May 18, 1951, Nakamura, serving as a lieutenant in the 2nd Infantry Division, volunteered to repair a communications line between his platoon and the command post. 

As he made his way along the line, he came under fire from an enemy unit threatening to breach the company defense lines. Nakamura rushed the enemy troops with a fixed bayonet and singlehandedly destroyed a hostile machine gun position, driving the enemy from several bunkers that they had captured. 

When his ammunition ran low, he withdrew under intense enemy fire until he met an ammunition party climbing the hill. With more ammunition, Nakamura returned to the fight, killing three enemy soldiers in one bunker before charging another. 

Continuing to press the attack, he was mortally wounded by an enemy grenade. Nakamura was 29. He received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions and sacrifice. 

“He lost his life, volunteering for an assignment, helping out his unit,” Takashima said. “My uncle had a commitment to his service and his fellow soldiers. It impressed one of his buddies, Richard Edlebeck. When Richard learned years later his friend didn’t receive the Medal of Honor, he spent the rest of his life working on a packet.” Takashima said his uncle would have been honored to receive the award but “felt all of this was too much for doing what he was supposed to do.” 

Bruno Orig 

Pvt. Orig was born in Hawaii to parents from the Philippines. He was 11 years old when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, plunging the U.S. into World War II. Following the example of his father and stepfather, he enlisted in the Army in 1950 less than two months after the North Koreans attacked the South, igniting the Korean War. 

Bruno Orig

On Feb. 15, 1951, while assigned to G Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, Orig was returning from a wire-laying mission near Chipyong-ni, Korea, when he saw several of his comrades had been wounded during an attack. Disregarding his own safety, Orig rushed to them and began administering first aid under fire. 

With the help of several comrades from the company command post, Orig began removing the wounded to safety. A

fter returning to help more of the wounded, Orig volunteered to man a machine gun because most of the crew had been wounded. He provided covering fire so a platoon of allies could escape and continued firing even as his company’s positions were overrun. 

After the battle was over and the area secured, Orig was found dead beside his weapon. In front of his position lay the bodies of several enemy soldiers. He was 20 years old. 

For his sacrifice, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

 “He came upon a firefight, rescued fellow soldiers, took a machine gun position, engaged with the enemy and ultimately died in action,” his nephew Charles “Chuck” Allen III said. “But [he] saved a platoon and doing that is now being recognized.” 

“I was deeply honored to join the President and the family of Private Orig in this long-deserved and long-overdue recognition of his truly extraordinary heroism," said Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii. "That this true son of Hawai‘i gave the ultimate measure of devotion to save the lives of his comrades, and that our country has the capacity to right wrongs of omission decades later, represents the very best of our military and of our nation.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

'Shogun' is a big winner at the Golden Globes

Actor Cosmo Jarvis, far left, joins Shogun's Golden Glob winners, Anna Sawai,
Hiroyuki Sanad and Tadanobu Asono.

With the 2025 Golden Globes awards, Asian and Asian American actors and productions continue their unprecedented success in award shows during the last four years.

Shogun won all four categories it was nominated in at the Golden GLobes Awards held Sunday, including Best Drama Series for Television.

The series' three actors nominated also won the coveted trophy for a drama series in the best Male Actor ( Hiroyuki Sanad), Best Female Actor ( Anna Sawai) and Best Supporting Actor (Tadanobu Asono).

The period drama, based on the James Clavell novel, made history as the first non-English series to win the Golden Globe in te television drama category. The Shogun series, taking place in medieval Japan, was almost all in Japanese and used a mixed cast and crew from Japan and North America.

FYI: The full list of Golden Globe winners

The series was so successful, creatively and received so well by viewers that there are plans to extend the storyline beyond the original novel into a second and third season.

Jon M. Chu, director of the film production Wicked, widened the AAPI presence with his passionate comments when his musical moton picture won a Golden Globe for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.

“My parents came to this country and loved Wizard of Oz. They'd tell us about the yellow brick road and the place over the rainbow, where all dreams come true if you dare to dream it," said Chu.=, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. "So I'm up here looking at you, living the dream and looking at this beautiful, beautiful cast. It's more beautiful than I ever thought it could be.”

 He continued: "So when we discover that maybe the world isn't exactly the way we thought it was, and maybe [we all have] a little bit of Elphaba inside of us ... that maybe we have that courage and that strength to not give up but to rise up. Take the road off the yellow brick road and maybe discover we can fly.”

Ali Wong, won the Golden Globe for the best stand-up comedy performance in "Ali Wong: A Single Lady" that can be sreamed on Netflix. Wong, a native San Francisco resident gave thanks to the Bay Area comedy clubs for giving her stage time to hone her craft. 

“I come from San Francisco and that’s where I started doing stand-up, and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all the stage time that I got there, and all the practice I got to become a stand-up comedian,” said Wong, a Golden Globe winner in 2024 for her performance in Beef.

Ater complaints about the lack of diversity arose, the Hollywood Foreign Press  Association, found to have an overwhelmingly white membership,  attempted to bring more diversity broadening their membership to include more jornalists of color.

Productions such as South Korea's Parasite and Squid Games, the American film Everything, Everywhere All At Once, Farewell and Minari and the TV dark comedy Beef, have brought more attention to Asian and Asian American talent and productions. 

The Golden Globes is owned by Dick Clark Productions who bought the rights from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 2023. Members of the HFPA still vote on the nominated films and television productions.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge.

CORRECTION: In earlier versions of this post, the Hollywood Foreighn Press Association was misidentified.